River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-07-28

and helping on his projects. The sto-
ries of the creation OF the world, and
of the battle of the gods and yotuns
are the most attractive and majestic
myths ever produced.
The language and literature of old
Norway also had high standpoint
A nations language forms it's chief
ornament and treasure. Its glory,
wealth, and achievements, may be
however great, without correspond
ing development in the literary sphere
it cannot prosper. And in studying
the rise and growth of nature. we find
that their development is similar to
that of the individual MANIFEST child.
hood with its fantasy and imagination,
producing poetry; then manhood
| with its emotion and aetivity--pro-
ducing history; and then old age
| with its mature refiectiOn-pToducing
| philosophy. Thus it was also with the
| NOrsemen. Their first literary at
tempts were in poetry, and in their
"EddaS" we find the most sublime
| spirit combined with the most finished
form. Even the student and author of
these later times can draw knowledge
| and inspiration from these beautiful
! stories and myths about Odin, Thor,
aud Bladder, that illuminate the pages
of this peoples history, and glitter
| like brilliant diamonds in the dust and
darkness of bygone ages. Watching
the northern lights flashing over the
| heavens in the long winter nights, the
people We'd with each other in singing
| eXtemporaneOus verses, custom
which brought forth the renowned
| skaldS, and made each man able to
sing to the praises of their chieftains,
| to commemorate the deeds of the
| dead. The Norwegian and Icelandic
sagaS are regarded as the most valua-
| BILE historic records of northern
Europe. In these are related their
customs and laws, their adventures
and victories. Here we find the begin
ming of parliament and congress, of
trial by jury, the security of property,
the freedom of mind, and influence of
public opinion, which has gone in
| inheritance to succeeding generations
and brought the world up to the POI
litical and intellectual standpoint it
has to-day.
The Norsemen were a people re-
maTkable for their love of liberty. IN
an age when feudalism and despotism
held all the rest of Europe in its sway,
the NOrsemen retained their ancient
freedom. and would not suffer it to be
diminished by the least cOnstraint.
This love for liberty was also one of
the principal causes of the viking
cruises. The viking chiefs and their
men loved the free and unrestrained
life on the ocean better than life I'M
der any authority, although it might
bring the greatest advantages. On
their dragon ships they plowed the sea
as free as the bird of the air. But a
time was coming when this, their I'M
restrained liberty, should be no more.
Divided into many republics, they
dwelt in their happy homes among the
romantic mountains and beautiful
valleys in that land of the midnight
sun, in prosperity and happiness. But
Us man is himself a fleeting being,
SO his happiness is ever varying and
fading as the flowers of the fields.
Their enjoyment of wealth, quietude
and peace was ere long to be changed
from reality of the present to q
"reminiscences Of the past. There came
a time when Harold the Fair-haired,
after twelve years of warfare, united
Norway under his sway. But love Of
liberty, that deposes kings, oVerturns
empires, POUNDS republics, and raises
the glorious shrine of freedom, filed
them with renewed zeal, and, disdain-
ing TO yield their ancient independ-
ence, they calmly determined to bid
adieu to the land of their fathers and
set out in quest of new abodes. Yes.
sci after vessel, with cargoes of
| liberty-lOving men, left those cher
ished shores proudly stemming the
currents of the briny deep, and set
their course for Iceland. Thus Ice
| land was destined for centuries to be-
come the preserver of the literature
and freedom of the North. In that
strange island was formed, more than
| ten centuries ago, a language that the
| hand of time could not destroy, and a
| literature whose worth surpasses any
| thing of MEDIEVAL days. This, in short
was the life of the ancient Norsemen.
| Their life, though not without its shad-
| CWs and stains, was yet one of benih-
cent activity. The breath of new life
which the vikings infused into history
lives to-day in Norway, England and
4 America. Their literature abOunds
equally in profoundly of thought and
beauty of expression, and we find
nothing in ancient poetry to be CON-
pared with their musical expression
before we 60 back to the days of HON.
er and Virgil. The beauty of nature
served as means of elevating their
mind and refining their taste, and this
salutary effect is also apparent in their
literature.
A. Cd
rank highest among men, and in the
growing recognition of their discovery
of this country, we see an ample proof
of this fact. They were eminent low
ers of liberty and wherever its sacred
precincts were infringed upon by the
sceptres of assuming kings, they lifted
up their powerful arm to fight for
freedom. They marched forth not to
subjugate, but to elevate, to infuse a
noble and free spirit into the nations of
the earth, and they gave the world
that germ of liberty that ''struck root
in the early literature of France, bud
ded in the Magma Charta of England,
and reached the highest stage of de-
velopment in the American Declara-
ton of Independence.
In an age when strength, bravery
and an adventurous spirit made a ma
tion eminent, Norway played great
role on the arena of the world, found
ing and destroying kingdoms, mingling
her vigorous blood with that of other
; nations and infusing her love of liberty
restrained by law, into their very
: souls.
In these later times when modern
science has subordinated herOism to
numbers, Norway must bow before
, numerical superiority. But history is
steadily founding another measure of
, merit than cannon and bayonets, and
in this new state of things, Norway
may also hope to distinguish herself,
to keep up the reputation that ii
! gained through its vikings of yore.
, Martell, Wis, July 10, 1887.
Gilman.
! Crops are generally good but the